Manchester United have been continually linked with some good players this summer but who have been their best ever acquisitions?

Manchester United have always been one of the best clubs in world football. An iconic symbol of how far English clubs can go when they set their minds to achieving with the right blend of intelligent tactics, spirit and unstoppable self-belief, the Red Devils have tormented many a team throughout their long and storied history.

They dominated the soccer scene through the 1990s and early noughties under the stewardship of the inimitable Sir Alex Ferguson, capturing so many titles along the way, but after some rocky times under David Moyes and Louis van Gaal, it looks as though some stability could be back on the cards with the charismatic Jose Mourinho entering the fray as manager.

Some big signings have either been made or are being touted by United with Zlatan Ibrahimovic already joining the club, while Paul Pogba looks close to finalising his move– but neither of them have made any contributions to winning titles for the side. So what about some of the club’s historic signings? Who have been the team’s standout signatures down through the years? Let’s take a look.

1) Roy Keane

Undoubtedly Manchester United’s greatest ever central midfielder, Roy Keane arrived from Nottingham Forest for a then record British transfer fee of £3.75 million back in 1993, but managed to repay them countless times over with his displays of consistency and tough-tackling brilliance over the course of his career.

The former Republic of Ireland international was the engine of the team for so many years, and made a name for himself as not just a brute force in the middle of the park because he was a great passer, could score goals from long range and knew when to turn on the style when he needed it – his iconic UEFA Champions League performance against Juventus in 1999 was perhaps the pinnacle of his personal ability to fuse dazzling showmanship with effective graft.

He was a true leader and a natural captain who won seven Premier League crowns as well as picking up four FA Cups, four Community Shields and a single, glowing, European Cup medal. He helped them reach new heights and kept them purring for the majority of their most successful period in the English game, so it was such a shame to see him exit the club in the manner in which he did.

A true legend who was adored by the Stretford End faithful for so many years, he should rightly be recalled as one of their best ever signings.